At My New Horse, we love hearing about the unique partnerships our readers have with their beloved horses! Meet Denise, from Rochester, New York, and her 6-year-old off-track Thoroughbred mare Bayesian aka “Bae.”
What discipline do you ride?
English, swapping between dressage, hunters, and pleasure and using mutual tools in each style to keep things consistent for my mare.
What is your favorite horse breed?
Thoroughbred
What is your horse’s favorite treat?
Peppermints
What’s the quirkiest thing your horse does?
She is learning tricks like smiling and shaking hands for starters. I like trick training as it engages different parts of the horse in mind and body.
What’s your favorite thing to do together?
Our favorite time is grooming time. Bayesian ends up clean, and I end up dirty … just a fact of horse care.
What’s one thing you’re still learning about each other?
Bayesian recently came off the track, and I have the honor (and it is a definite honor) of restarting her. I am learning her favorite bridles (the Dr. Cook’s Bitless is her favorite along with a biothane neon yellow bridle with a simple D bit), she is learning voice commands so I do not need to use as much leg or seat, but those aids are still utilized, how she likes to be groomed, and my favorite: She would not pick up her hooves for cleaning unless I did things in her order, then she was lifting the feet before I got to them!
What was the first thing you bought for your horse?
Nameplates for her tack. Most of my tack was used by other horses I have owned, and in a boarding situation, I like her things to be marked. She has an unusual name, Bayesian, based on Bayes’ Theory of Probability. She received that name as it was magical probability how I got her in just a few days when I wasn’t looking.
Have you had your first “oops” moment yet?
Yes! Our “oops” moment was in the gigantic pasture she shares with a herd of mares of varying ages. The footing is lumpy from wet periods to dry periods with hoofprints, and I had gone out to get her from the field (always armed with peppermints) and was bringing her in when I fell knee-deep into a mud puddle. Bayesian pulled back, pulling me out, but I lost my footing and fell. She had pulled away from me and was looking at me with a look that clearly said, “Are you having trouble today?”
What are your goals as a team — big or small?
At the age of almost 61, my goal is to be the team partner that Bayesian needs. We need to “feel” each other and anticipate what is happening next in training. She is learning voice commands in different tones so she can differentiate between a sitting trot and a faster trot. More trick training is a must, as it engages parts of the horse from mind to body. We will be working on dressage basics, hunter basics (due to a healed osselet), and trail riding, making it fun and rewarding. I do not believe in pounding a horse through lessons — I vary them so she has to guess where we are going next, and that helps keep her attention on me. Some schooling shows are not out of the question so I can see how she performs, not necessarily to earn ribbons.
What little routine or ritual do you two have that makes your bond special?
She knows I keep treats in my bra (I desperately need a small treat bag for my waist), and we have been working on standing at the mounting block as some Thoroughbreds are on the move to the track and some jockeys mount on the go. Being very arthritic in my hips and knees, Bayesian knows she has to “wait” until my foot is in a stirrup, I mount and get both feet secure, then she gets a treat. It is safety for me and for her.
What surprised you most about owning a horse?
After owning horses of many breeds over 55 years, my best lessons were taught by a Miniature Horse who would willingly jump in either jumper style or hunter style on the end of a lead. I could not touch or guide her into the fence like a riding horse with reins, seat, and legs; I could only present her to the fence and hope she would go, as she usually did. With Bayesian I am using the lessons that miniature mare taught me (she was also a Delta Society/Pet Partners certified animal assisted therapy horse, an AMHR National Performance Hall of Fame winner in Halter Obstacle, Hunters, and Jumpers, and did volunteer work for a local humane society’s telethon. Her read on people was amazing, and I cannot describe it thoroughly as each situation was uniquely different.
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